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Actor John Heard Found Dead At Palo Alto Hotel

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- Actor John Heard, whose many roles included the father in the "Home Alone" series and a corrupt detective in "The Sopranos," has died. He was 71.

The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences' Oscars Outdoors Screening Of "Big"
Actor John Heard attends the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Oscars Outdoors screening of "Big" in 2013. (Rodrigo Vaz via Getty Images)

His death was confirmed Saturday by the Santa Clara Office of Public Affairs.

An autopsy was performed Saturday morning but the cause of death has not been determined, according to Laurel Anderson, a county spokeswoman.

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The medical examiner must first complete further testing, including toxicology testing, which can take three to four weeks, Anderson said.

The medical examiner is investigating, and based on the investigation so far, there is no evidence of foul play, according to Anderson.

Heard played Peter McCallister, the father of Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin, in "Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York." He said in later interviews that he sought a movie with kids in it so his son, age 5 at the time, could come to the set and have someone to play with.

After it became a big hit, he was reluctant to revisit the role but his agent convinced him the money was too good to pass up.

"I didn't want to be the 'Home Alone' dad for the rest of my life," he told Yahoo News in 2013.

He was born March 7, 1946, in Washington, D.C. and grew up performing in local theater. One of his memorable early roles was as a disabled Vietnam War veteran in the 1981 film "Cutter's Way."

He was active in film for the next decade, playing Tom Hanks' rival in "Big," actress Geraldine Page's son in "The Trip to Bountiful" and in the movies "The Pelican Brief," ''Beaches," ''Gladiator," ''Rambling Rose" and "After Hours."

He earned an Emmy nomination for playing Vin Makazian in "The Sopranos." Television also kept him busy. He acted in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," ''Elementary," ''Prison Break," ''Modern Family" and "Entourage." One of his favorite jobs came in the original "Sharknado" television movie in 2013.

"I knew it was going to be a cult classic," he told the Baltimore Media Blog last year. "It's just ridiculous. I thought it would replace people calling me the 'Home Alone' dad."

Fellow actor Michael McKean paid tribute on Twitter Saturday: "RIP John Heard. Never not good."

Heard was married and divorced three times, including briefly to actress Margot Kidder. He had three children.

TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report

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